Franz: Bainbridge must change its energy consumption

Councilwoman Hilary Franz submitted a guest column
urging energy conservation to avert the need for a new power
substation on the island. Her column is below.

This week, Puget Sound Energy held a public meeting at the
Bainbridge Commons to discuss a proposed substation and
transmission lines for Bainbridge Island. As they shared at
the meeting, PSE is bound by the electrical needs of our community.
Due to the growth of our Island’s power demand, PSE is forecasting
that they will need to begin the construction of a new power
transmission substation as early as 2011.

I believe that our island is in the position of delaying or
averting the installation of the proposed 25 MVA substation in
2011. To get there, however, will take the commitment of all
of our community to energy efficiency, changing energy usage
habits, and alternative energy. It will require approximately 1 to
2 MW per year reduction in our peak demand. PSE announced at the
meeting that they are willing to work with the community and
develop ways in which conservation may be used to meet this
ambitious goal. We should take them up on this offer.

Efficiency and conservation must be at the top of the list of
solutions to our energy challenges. The most efficient and
environmentally responsible fossil fuel-based power plant is the
one that you never need to build. Before we assume that the
adding of another substation is the only solution to our needs, we
should more wisely use what we already have. PSE shared with
us that the average Bainbridge single family residence uses 19,000
kwh annually, while the average PSE single family residence
customer uses only 11,797 kwh. We should maximize efficiency
measures and work with PSE to provide programs to our Island
community to increase energy efficiency in our homes, businesses,
and organizations. The benefits of doing so go farther than
avoiding or delaying a substation; energy efficiency and
conservation can lower energy bills, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

To delay or prevent the substation, we need to focus on our peak
load. Peak load is how PSE calculates its production
requirements. As individuals we can make minor changes in our
energy habits to shift the demand during the peak time and offset
the strain to our electrical grid. Simple steps here could be used
from shifting electrical usage at certain times in our day during
the winter months, setting our thermostats lower and to heat at
non-peak times, or placing a jacket on our water heaters to
increase efficiency.

In my meetings with PSE over the last several months, PSE has
expressed interest in working with our community to reduce our
energy needs and peak loads to delay or avoid another substation.
The mobilization of citizens, organizations, and our city
leaders around energy efficiency and renewable energy as a means of
delaying or preventing the substation has gotten PSE’s attention.
It is the leadership that Community Energy Solutions brought,
supported by Cedars Unitarian Church Green Sanctuary, Eagle Harbor
Congregational Church, Earth Service Corps, Sustainable Bainbridge,
Transition Town, and other citizens and businesses in the community
around renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as the
commitment we have made to work together. PSE sees that our
community is willing to work towards reducing our community’s
energy load.

This last week, PSE contacted me to discuss specific energy
efficiency programs they would like to work with our community on
to reduce our energy needs and peak loads. PSE’s proposal includes
a mechanism to encourage consumers to reduce peak demand, thereby
reducing the risk of potential disturbances and possibly avoiding
additional capital cost requirements for additional
substations.

I invite you to attend a community energy meeting at the
Bainbridge Commons on April 30 between 7 and 9 p.m. to discuss our
local energy challenges, share proven energy alternatives and
community success stories, look at forming a community energy task
force, and discuss in detail the programs PSE has put forth and
what we as a community want to do together to reduce our energy
consumption and peak load.

I look forward to seeing you at the community meeting. If you
have questions or thoughts, feel free to contact me by email at
hilary@hilaryfranz.com or by telephone at 734-9729.

3 thoughts on “Franz: Bainbridge must change its energy consumption”

I think it would be more fair to assess bainbridge energy use against other communities that, like Bainbridge, have no alternative to electricity. Many other communities have the choice of gas. If you’re going to compare, compare apples and apples, not apples and oranges.

Ms Franz – Thank you so much for taking on this issue! Conservation will have an impact if a lot of people take small steps (I just made an Earth Day resolution to hang a clothesline instead of using the dryer as often as possible, along with being better about turning out the lights, radio, etc when not in the room.) Nothing major, but every little bit does help and we’ll do all we can in addition to those small steps to try and cut back our energy use so this substation doesn’t need to be built. The substation itself in only part of the concern – there’s also the new transmission line(s), and who only knows where those will need to go/how they’ll impact the landscape of Bainbridge.